Grounding-shoe for electric wires.



Patented Jan. 30, I900.

T. u. STOKES.

GRDUNDING SHOE FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

(Application filed June 12, 1899.)

(no MudeL) U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. STOKES, OF LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

GROUNDlNG-SHOE FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 642,169, dated January 30, 1900.

Application filed June 12, 1899- N h 720,312. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. STOKES, of Lincoln, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Grounding-Shoe for Electric ires, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to devices for grounding telephone, telegraph, or other electric wires; and the object is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive device by the use of which the end of a wire may be quickly and easily grounded without first digging a hole in the ground.

I will describe a grounding-shoe for electric wires embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a sectional View of a groundingshoe embodying my invention and showing the same in use, and ,Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the shoe,made of an y suitable material-such,for instance, as wood or metal-copper or brass being preferable.

The shoe is pointed at its lower end, so that it may be easily forced into the ground, and at its upper portion it has a recess or socket 2, into which the end of an iron rod or other suitable instrument (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) may be inserted for forcing the device into the ground; It may be here stated that the iron rod should fit loosely in the socket, so that it may be withdrawn without drawing the shoe up with it and to avoid friction with the ground in being driven down.

At one side the shoe has a longitudinal channel 3, and at the opposite side it has a recess 4, and a transverse hole 5 connects the channel with the recess. In use the wire 03 is to be inserted through the hole 5, a portion of the wireresting in the channel 3 and the end of the wire being turned into the recess 4. The channel 3 and recess 4 are sufliciently deep to permit the wire to be seated wholly within the circumference of the shoe, so that there are no outside projections that would interfere with the movement of the device into the ground. When the device is to be inserted into the ground, the iron rod or similar instrument is to be inserted in the socket 2, and then by forcing the rod downward the shoe will be pushed into the ground, after which the rod is to be withdrawn and the hole filled up above the shoe.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent--- 1. A grounding device for an electric wire, comprising a shoe sharpened at its lower end and having a transverse hole for receiving a grounding-wire, substantially as specified.

2. A grounding device for an electric wire, comprising a shoe pointed at its lower end, the said shoe having a longitudinal channel atone side, a recess at the other side, and a hole connecting the recess and the channel, substantially as specified.

3. A grounding device for an electric wire, comprising a shoe having a sharpened or pointed end, and having a socket at its upper portion, the said shoe also having at one side a longitudinal channel and at the opposite side a recess, and a transverse hole connecting the recess and channel, substantially as specified.

THOMAS II. STOKES.

Witnesses:

E. G. KING, 0. H. KNAPP. 

